E3 2002: Toe Jam & Earl III

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By IGN

It's been a long time since Toe Jam and Earl graced a console. Originally planned for the Sega Dreamcast, Toe Jam & Earl III: All Funked Up is now exclusively for Xbox. For those who never played the original, TJ&E is a mixture of humor and action. ToeJam, Big Earl, and newcomer Latisha hunt for the 12 sacred Albums of Funk, which have been swiped by some square Earthlings with no love of funk. Yes, things are all funked-up, and only you can convert those pesky earthlings into lovers of funk. No word yet on whether or not George Clinton will make an appearance, but it only seems fitting.

Features:

Randomly generated worlds

Solo or split-screen multiplayer

Unique Earthlings to meddle with

A plethora of power-up presents

Use "rhythm matching" to funkify Earthlings

Volumes of voiceovers to bring the many characters to life

Over 40 original funk songs

Mini-games and side quests

Toe Jam & Earl III promises a unique gaming experience each time it's played. How's this possible? Every game is randomly generated, so no two games will be the same. This should offer plenty of replay value. And in this day and age of short, short games, replay value is eagerly welcomed.

While exploring these randomly generated worlds, players collect presents from Santa Funk such as Icarus Wings and Rocket Skates. You can play alone or with a friend with split-screen action. TG&E 3 will offer plenty of mini-games and side quests to keep you occupied, and with so many items to find and use, you'll probably have this baby in your Xbox for a while. TJ&E 3 will certainly offer some laughs. And you have to love the prospect of over 40 funk tunes. We'll shoot you the full track list as soon as it's nailed down solidly by Sega.

Outlook There's plenty to look forward to with TJ&E 3, but there are also a lot of things that remain a mystery. How will the "rhythm matching" work? How fresh will the game feel after slipping it into the old Xbox for the tenth time? Will the soundtrack include Flashlight, the greatest funk tune of all time? Sega certainly seems to be pulling no punches with TJ&E 3. If all goes well, we will all be tapping our feet to the funky beat this October. We'll have lots more of TJ&E 3, but for now, let these first screens put a smile on your sweet soulful face.